The invention relates to packaging tape that can be easily and conveniently removed from a package to facilitate opening of the package.
Modern plastic film tapes exhibit significant tensile strength and holding power. While this attribute insures package integrity, it often presents a problem when the package must be opened. Often a knife is required to be inserted between panels of the package and thereafter drawn between the panels to slit the tape. Unfortunately, this opening procedure often damages the goods internally of the package.
The aforesaid problem was recognized heretofore by C. H. Ames who discloses a solution to the problem in U.S. Pat. No. 1,827,636. Ames provides a sealing tape having an adhesive along only the outer edges thereof leaving a non-adhesive strip down the center of the tape. A tab is provided at one end of the sealing tape in the center portion thereof to facilitate removal of the tape from the package. The solution presented by Ames is not totally acceptable, however, since the non-adhesive tab at one end of the tape is subject to being caught by other packages or objects resulting in stripping of the tape from the package. Moreover, the strength of the tape is compromised by the lack of adhesive at a critical area thereof, namely, the area that overlies the space between adjacent flaps or edge portions of a package.
Yet another solution to the problem of opening a tape sealed package without tools is offered by Vogt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,764. However, Vogt solves this problem by weakening a portion of the tape to effect rupture thereof and facilitate subsequent removal of the tape from the package. Obviously, integrity of a package is compromised by an easily rupturable tape.